ARRESTED KASTRIOT ISENI ACCUSED OF TERRORISM

SKOPJE, SEPTEMBER 30 /SRNA/ - Police in North Macedonia have arrested Kastriot Iseni, the alleged leader of a group linked to the Islamic State terrorist organization, on suspicion of indoctrinating young people in pursuit of ISIS objectives and forming a group with others that trafficked in weapons and ammunition.

Iseni, 34, the main suspect in the case, is accused of terrorism. According to the Interior Ministry, he became active in the Skopje branch of ISIS three years ago and allegedly sought to carry out crimes in North Macedonia. In an operation conducted on Monday by police and the National Security Agency, three automatic rifles were seized, two of them fitted with sniper scopes, along with flags and other insignia linked to ISIS. As an alleged member of the Islamic State terrorist organization, Iseni is accused of indoctrinating young people to further the group's objectives, distributing extremist and radical propaganda material, and acquiring and handling firearms. "B. A. /24/ and E. S. /30/, together with the main suspect K. I., formed a group in which they illegally possessed, brokered and traded firearms and ammunition", police said in a statement. Police also released a short video of the operation showing seized handguns, knives, radios and cryptocurrency-mining equipment that the group allegedly used while also stealing electricity. North Macedonian media reported that Iseni had previously been known to the security authorities. Investigators are also examining possible links between the group and other serious criminal offenses, including loan-sharking and illegal arms trafficking. At this stage, only Iseni is suspected of terrorism, while the other two men are suspected of illegal weapons possession. Prosecutors are seeking one month of pre-trial detention for the three suspects, while two others detained with them are not currently facing criminal charges. The operation, carried out on Monday, was led by the Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime and Corruption.